Automobile torpedo.



H. W. SHONNARD.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

APPLICATION fllED APR. 3. \915,

Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

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H. W. SHONNARD.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1915.

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%wa& Wham UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

HAROLI D W. SHONNARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A SSIGNOR TO CRUCIBLE STEEL COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONOF NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 18,963.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD WV. SHIN- NARD, residing at Far Rockaway, Qu ens borough, city and'Stat'e of New York, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Torpedoes, of which improvements the following is a specification.

In my application Serial No. 18,962, filed of even date herewith, I have illustrated and described certain improvements in gyroscopes for automobile torpedoes, such improvements being particularly adapted to carry out the method of fire control for torpedoes covered in my United States Patent No. 1,035,647 Among "the various features of construction shown in said application, there are instrume'ntalities for completing an electric circuit through the Walls source of electrical supply outside of such tube. While meansto such. end form a part o f'the' invention claimed in said application,

My invention broadly considered is unlimited to any specific purpose for'which the'current is used within the torpedo.

the embodiment illustrated herein it is used I to excite the inductor of-an electric motor gyroscope, but it will be readily understood that it may be used tor -other desired purpose. 1 ;J= 3

In the accompanying 'sheets'of, drawings, wherein my invention is illustrated, Figure 1. is a transverse sectional yiewfthrough a portion of a launching tube and a torpedo placed therein, the plane of view being indicated by the broken line I I, Fig. 3; Fig.

2 a bottom plan view of the casing shown immediately above it in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 a sectional view taken on the line IIIIII,

Fig. l, a portion of the gyroscope housing being shown in elevation.

While in the practice of my invention there may be as many conducting paths as desired through the launching tube and torpedo walls, as shown herein-threejpaths are provided, they being intended to carry a three phase alternating current.-'.

Referring to the drawings the torpedo Patented Dec. 7,1915. Original application and April 3,1915, Serial No. 18,962. Divided and this application filed April 3,1915.

wall 1 is provided with anopening adjacent to which there is an inwardly extending boss 2. To this boss there is secured, by a water tight joint, a disk 3 provided with three separately insulated conducting posts 4, the outer ends-of which are substantially flush with the face of the disk 3, their inner ends being provided with binding screws To the outer Wall of the launching, tube 32 there is attached a substantially cylindrical casing 6, having a cover 7, and-provlded with a reeiprocatory piston 8,11aving as a part thereof a tubular stem 9 movable through the cover 7. The piston is held yieldingly toward the torpedo by means of a spring 10, and is provided with three separately insulated brushes Il -adapted to contact with the posts 4. The brushesare slid- .ably mountedin the piston head and are backed by suitable springs 12, which bear at their opposite ends against conducting plugs 13. Electrical continuity may be established between the brushes 1 1,and the plugs 13 either through the springs 1201' through .flexibleconductors 14. The outer ends of the plugs 13 are provided with binding screws 15 for the attachment of supply conductors 16 which extend through the tubular stem 9 of the piston.

Thecircuit may be broken by moving the piston 8 outwardly, and this may be done manually, as by engaging a handle 17 attached to the stem 9, or by compressed air let into the casingtiat the rearof the pistori shoulder 18 through'a conduit 19. This conduit mav, as shown in my above men tioned application. lead from the passageway connecting the storage reservoirwith the launching tube. To retain the piston in its retracted position, the stein-9 thereof may be provided with a no-ch 20 adapted to receive a latch-21 pivotally mounted on nections are made between such plugs and As already stated,the current led into the torpedo through its wall and that of the launching tube may be used for any desired purpose, as for example the spinning of a gyroscope. The construction of the gyroscope shown herein, and the leads for making and brealringa circuit through its gimbal ring, are fully described in m above mentioned application, and therefore need not be explained herein. It is only necessary to state that conductors lead from the posts 2 to plugs 24: carried by a supplementary casing 25, and that suitable electrical con brushes 26 carried by a member slidably mounted in such casing. When in the positions indicated in Fig. 3, these brushes are in contact with contactors 29, from which conductors 30 lead to the inductor ofthe electric motor gyroscope mounted Within the casing 31.

In operation, before placing the torpedo 1 within the launching tube 32 the piston 8, if not in its rearward position, may be withdrawn by engaging the handle 17. After placing the torpedo in the tube and adjusting it so that the disk 3 registers with the piston 8, the latch 21 may be released to permit the spring 10 to press the piston in wardly. Contact will then be established between the posts 4.- and the brushes 11, such brushes being pressed against the posts by means of the springs 12. Before launching the torpedo the piston will of course be withdrawn, either by pulling the handle 17, or by means of air let into the casing through the pipe 19.

I claim as my invention:

1. An automobile torpedo having an opening through the wall thereof, a closure for such opening, and electrical conducting elements carried by said closure and having contact portions exposed at the outer face thereof. 7

2. An automobile torpedo provided interiorly with electrically operated mechanism and having an opening through its Wall, a closure for such opening and electrical conducting elements carried by said closure and having contact portions exposed at and terminating with the outer face thereof, and electrical connections between said contact elements and said mechanism.

3. The combination of a torpedo launching tube, an automobile torpedo therein, electrical conducting elements borne respectively by the walls of said tube and torpedo 1- and adapted to Contact with each other, and

Quotes of this patent may be obtained for torpedo provided with an opei'iing thro means for moving the conducting elements of one of said walls to make and break a circuit.

4:1 The combination of a torpedo launching tube, an automobile torpedo therein and provided interiorly with electrically open ated mechanism, electrical connections extending from suchmechanism through the wall of the .torpedoand terminating with exposed contact faces at the outside of the if; torpedo, and movable conducting elements borne by the launching tube and adapted to contact with said first named elements 5. A launching tube for an autos'nobile its Wall, and a member movable throw such opening and provided with QlBCiJYlCui conducting elements adapted to close a circuit through the wall of a torpedo.

6. A launching tube for an autonmbile torpedo provided with an opening tin h its walls, a casing secured to such wall a cent to said opening, and a member mounted for reciprocation within said casing and provided with electrical conducting ments adapted to close a circuit through the wall of a torpedo.

7. A launching tube for an automobiletorpedo provided with an opening through its wall, a casing secured to such wall adjacent to said opening, a reciprocatory member within said casing held yieldingly toward the interior of the launching tube, and electrical conducting elements borne by said member and having exposed contacting faces on the inner side thereof.

8. A launching'tube for an automobile torpedo provided with an opening through its wall, a-casing secured to such wall adjacent to said opening-a reciprocatory member within said casing; held yieldingly toward the interior of the launching tube, and spring-pressed electrical conducting brushes borneby said member. v

9. A launching tube for an automobile torpedo provided with an opening. through its wall, a casing secured to such Wall adjacent to said opening, a piston movable within said casing and held yieldingly' toward the interior of the launching tube, electrical conducting elements borne by said piston and having contact faces at-the inner end thereof, and means for holding said piston in its outward position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

